Ricerc@Sapienza

Background: Although exposure to endocrine disruptor compounds (EDCs) has been suggested as a contributing factor to a range of women's health disorders including infertility, polycystic ovaries and the early onset of puberty, considerable challenges remain in attributing cause and effect on gynaecological cancer. Until recently, there were relatively few epidemiological studies examining the relationship between EDCs and endometrial cancer, however, in the last years the number of these studies has increased.

Metal pollution in water and soil is an environmental and public health issue. Cadmium (Cd) is included in the list of priority hazardous substances in the European Water Framework Directive. Phytoremediation system is a cost-effective, plant-based approach that takes advantage of the ability of plants to concentrate elements and compounds from the environment and to metabolize various molecules in their tissues. We studied the presence and the importance of an invasive species, such as Lemna minuta, in the environment and the effects of Cd pollution on this species.

Examination of cadmium (Cd) toxicity and disulfiram (DSF) effect on liver was focused on oxidative stress (OS), bioelements status, morphological and functional changes. Male Wistar rats were intraperitoneally treated with 1 mg CdCl2/kg BW/day; orally with 178.5 mg DSF/kg BW/day for 1, 3, 10 and 21 days; and co-exposed from 22nd to 42nd day.

The aim of our work was to optimize and apply simple high-performance liquid chromatography method with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) for simultaneous determination of reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione in biological matrix (specifically, the rat liver tissue was used herein), since the ratio between oxidized and reduced glutathione forms (GSSG-GSH) has been recognized as an important biological marker of oxidatively depleted GSH in oxidative stress (OS)-associated diseases and poisonings.

The semimetal arsenic (As) and the heavy metal cadmium (Cd) are highly toxic for plants and animals, evoking enormous concern due to their widespread and persistent presence in polluted ecosystems. Both elements are not essential for plants but easily absorbed by their roots using the same membrane transporters of essential nutrients. The exposure to Cd or As causes inhibition of plant growth, especially in sensitive plants as Arabidopsis thaliana, the model species used in this research. It was reported that Cd and As mainly localize in root meristems.

The research was focussed on the effects of cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As), alone or combined, on Arabidopsis
post-embryonic roots, with attention to quiescent centre formation and development in relation to auxin
homeostasis. To the aim, morphological and histochemical analyses were carried out on seedlings, exposed or
not to Cd and/or As, of wild type, and transgenic lines useful for monitoring quiescent centre identity, auxin
localization and cellular influx and efflux. Moreover, auxin levels and expression of the YUC6 auxin biosynthetic

Arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) are toxic elements frequently present simultaneously in the environment. Pteris vittata L. (Chinese brake fern) is a natural As hyperaccumulator, able to accumulate very high levels of As in the fronds. The fern is also capable to adsorb Cd and to accumulate it, at moderate levels, in the root. To date, the mechanisms triggered by the fern in the presence of As and Cd are poorly known, and it is unknown whether Cd alters the fern As hyperaccumulating capabilities. The research aim was to analyse the responses of P.

A screening strategy using micropropagation glass tubes with a gradient of distances between germinating seeds
and a metal-contaminated medium was used for studying alterations in root architecture and morphology of
Arabidopsis thaliana treated with cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) at the concentration of 10–20 ?M and 100–200 ?M,
respectively. Metal concentrations in plant shoots and roots were measured by quadrupole inductively coupled
plasma mass spectrometry. After 21 days from germination, all plants in the tubes were scanned at high resolution

Cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As), non essential, but toxic, elements for animals and plants are frequently present in paddy fields. Oryza sativa L., a staple food for at least the half of world population, easily absorbs As and Cd by the root, and in this organ the pollutants evoke consistent damages, reducing/modifying the root system. Auxins are key hormones in regulating all developmental processes, including root organogenesis. Moreover, plants respond to environmental stresses, such as those caused by Cd and As, by changing levels and distribution of endogenous phytohormones.

Cadmium (Cd) and Arsenic (As) pollution has become a serious factor limiting the growth and productivity of Oryza sativa L. and a risk for human health. Roots are the first organs affected by these pollutants, showing growth inhibition and altered cellular differentiation (Fattorini et al., 2017 doi: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2017.10.005). Cd and As alter root architecture negatively interacting with hormone biosynthesis and